


You Can't Run Away From the Facts

by TheGreatCatsby



Series: Mom Knew a Man [4]
Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom
Genre: magneto - Freeform, pietro in action, quicksilver - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 08:40:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1851661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatCatsby/pseuds/TheGreatCatsby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Erik would take anyone from petty theft to murder if it were possible."</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Can't Run Away From the Facts

“That guy,” Hank said, “is like a combination of five different types of drugs.”

“You couldn't even handle five drugs,” Pietro said as he grabbed Hank's glasses. Hank made a swipe for him and missed, as he always did. Charles resisted the urge to rub his temples. 

“Give it back,” he said. 

Hank's glasses appeared back on his head. “Thank you.” 

“Hypothetically speaking,” Pietro said, appearing in front of the both of them, “if I were to take a week off from the school, would that be a big deal? Like, would I get in trouble?” 

“Why?” Charles asked. 

Pietro shrugged. “Just hypothetically. I don't think you're getting that part, are you? I thought as a Professor and all you'd know what that meant.” 

“I do know what it means,” said Charles, who even now hadn't managed to revise his opinion of Pietro as being a bit of a pain in the ass. “I don't know why you're asking about this hypothetical situation.” 

“Don't you?” Pietro asked, and then he was gone, leaving a gust of wind in his wake. 

“Do you?” Hank asked after a moment. 

“No,” Charles admitted, annoyed. “His thoughts give me a headache.” 

The next day Pietro didn't show up to class. Hypothetical, indeed. 

**

“I see you decided to take my offer,” Raven said. She'd met Pietro in London and they were standing on one of the many bridges that spanned the Thames. She figured a crowd was the best place to get Pietro to stay still long enough to listen. 

Pietro was looking at the river. “I can walk on water,” he said. 

“Great,” Raven said. “What changed your mind?” 

“Erik likes you,” Pietro said. “He doesn't trust himself with me but maybe he'll trust you with me.” 

“Is there going to be a problem?” Raven asked. “This involves Erik. If you two can't work together-” 

“The problem won't be on my side,” Pietro said. Raven could believe it, even though she hardly knew him. The problems usually came from Erik. Erik was a walking problem. 

But at least he took action. Unlike Charles. 

“So,” Raven said, “here's what we need from you. They're holding a few of us in a cell in Cuba. Erik can work the barriers. I can get us in. What I need you to do is get the prisoners to the helicopter before any fighting starts. They'll be weak. Think you can manage that?” 

“Prisoners,” Pietro repeated. “How many?” 

“Three.” 

“Could be difficult,” Pietro said. “I've never run with more than two people.” 

“You'll figure out a way,” Raven said. 

Pietro grinned at her. “I know I will.” 

**

The plane ride was long and uncomfortable. They were picking up Magneto in Florida, where he'd been staging things and where the helicopter would take off from. 

Mostly because Pietro wouldn't stop talking. 

“You know, you should visit Charles when you're done,” he said. 

Raven's eyes narrowed. “I don't want to visit Charles.” 

“He misses you,” Pietro said. “You know, I think I could've gone faster than this plane.” 

“You don't know where we're landing,” Raven said. “And if Charles misses me that's his own problem.” 

“You grew up together,” Pietro said. “That's gotta mean something. Besides, between you and Erik the moping his does is ridiculous. And he still hasn't got his hair cut. I think he'd get his hair cut if you just let him know you don't hate him.” 

“Why do you care so much about Charles anyway?” Raven asked. 

Pietro shrugged. “I live with him now. It's annoying.” 

Raven sighed. “I'm not around just to fix Charles' problems.” 

“I didn't say that,” Pietro said. “I just think that sometimes you and Erik take things a little too far. Like with terrorism, but also with making Charles feel like shit. Erik mostly. But you sometimes, too.” 

“If I stayed with Charles he'd try to control me,” Raven said. “That's why I don't stay with him.” 

Pietro nodded. “But not seeing him at all is a bit much, don't you think?” 

“Did you come on this trip just to get me to see Charles?” 

“No.” 

“Then stop talking, or talk about something else.” 

Pietro spent the next two hours talking about the places he wanted to break into, just for fun, if he ever got the chance. 

**

When they exited the plane in Florida, the first thing they saw was Erik walking towards them dressed in his purple armor and cape, complete with the helmet on his head. 

“What a costume,” Pietro muttered, rolling his eyes. It was then that Erik noticed him. 

“Fuck's sake,” he said, spinning around and walking away. 

Raven caught up with him and said, “he's the best chance we have with minimum casualties on our side. And you know it.” 

Erik stopped and took a deep breath. “You don't know what you're doing. You don't know who he is.” 

“I do,” Raven said. “That doesn't change anything.” 

Erik turned around and Pietro grinned. He looked at Raven again, and she folded her arms across her chest. “I can tell he's yours,” she said. 

Erik groaned and looked back at Pietro. “Never again,” he said. 

“We haven't even begun,” Pietro said. “Come on. I already know where we're going and I've got the blueprints to the prison.” He held up a folder that Raven definitely hadn't given him. 

“What--” Raven started. 

“We should get to the helicopter,” Pietro said, “before the pilot starts panicking.”

And then he was gone, probably already buckled in with the stolen folder sitting back in the cockpit of the helicopter like it'd never been gone in the first place. 

“You'll get over it,” Raven said, patting Erik on the arm before walking away. 

“I doubt it,” Erik muttered. 

**

There was one thing Raven was hoping, and it was that Erik wouldn't take things too far. If it was just the two of them, she wouldn't have hoped at all, but Pietro was his son, and maybe Erik didn't want to expose him to the effects of going too far in person. 

The helicopter sped over the ocean and Pietro was scrutinizing Erik's outfit and the helmet. “Please don't tell me you designed that yourself,” he said. 

Erik raised an eyebrow. “This coming from the kid with goggles.” And a silver jacket, but Raven had told Pietro not to wear it today. Something about being noticeable. So he was in all black, wearing a hat to cover his hair. 

“Where do you think I get it from?” Pietro countered. “So, basically I go in with you. Get out. And then we leave. Is that right?” 

“That's pretty much it,” Raven said. “Don't play around.” 

“You wouldn't notice if I did,” Pietro said. 

“Yeah but if you screw up, we'd all notice,” Raven said. Outside the window, land appeared, the helicopter dipped, and Pietro leaned forward a bit in his seat. 

“I've never been to Cuba,” he said. “Actually, I never traveled much until you guys found me. Which doesn't make sense when I stop to think about it--”

“You don't stop to think,” Erik said. “That's the problem.” 

“Actually I never stop thinking,” Pietro said. “I just think really fast. I've already got a plan. You, on the other hand. Charles says you don't stop to think at all.” 

“Can we not talk about Charles?” Erik asked. 

“Agreed,” Raven said. 

Pietro looked at them both, then slid his goggles over his eyes. “You two have some serious issues.” 

They touched down, and immediately Pietro was out of his seat. As soon as Erik and Raven were on the grass, he was back, saying, “It's not too heavily guarded. But I got a picture for you and knocked out the guy I got it from.” He handed Raven a passport of a man with dark skin and short hair. 

“Thanks,” Raven said. She studied the picture for a moment and then allowed herself to transform into the man, complete with military uniform. She pocketed the passport. “Anything else on him?” 

“These,” Pietro said, producing a gun and an identification card, most likely with a chip that would get them onto the premisis. 

“Right.” Raven took these as well. “Don't say a word. Stay with me. Could you have worn anything more subtle?” she added to Erik. “At least take the helmet off.” 

“You know why I don't do that,” Erik growled. 

“Well, until you design something a bit more normal--” 

Erik's helmet flew off his head and Pietro stood a few inches to the left of where he'd been previously, smirking. Erik's mouth moved and no sound came out. 

“Right,” Raven said. “I'm sure Charles isn't looking at you--”

“So that's what that's for?” Pietro said. “Wow. You have more issues than I thought. I mean that is completely fine, keeping Charles out. I can see why you'd do that, Charles' power is a bit creepy, but it's also pretty cool. I mean, it's like getting a call but you can take your call anywhere. How cool is that?” 

“Have you had Charles in your head?” Erik said. His left eye was twitching. 

“He tried but it gives him a headache,” Pietro said. 

“Of course it does,” Erik murmured. 

“If you two are ready,” Raven said. Pietro nodded and Erik sighed, which she took as a yes. She started walking towards the trees at the edge of the field, and they followed. 

They reached a gate. Raven caught sight of a soldier slumped unconscious in the bushes. (She assumed unconscious and not dead because Pietro didn't seem like the sort of person that killed people yet.) There was no one else in sight, but the gate lock could only be opened with a card reader. It would've been impossible to climb over unless you had Magneto's abilities, because the fences were tall, with blades on top. 

Raven held her card to the scanner, which emitted a beeping sound and flashed a green light before the gate slid open. 

“I could have done that,” Erik said. 

“Which would've alerted them earlier than I wanted,” Raven pointed out. “Minimal casualties, remember?” 

“Is this new attitude because of Charles?” Erik asked. 

Raven ignored him and pushed forward. 

The actual facility was small, given that it was built as a place to keep mutants away from the general public, to make it hard for them to escape. That only three were currently imprisoned had a lot to do with Raven's previous efforts in Vietnam, making sure that a majority of the mutants meant to be sent to those prisons never got there. This wasn't the only one, but it was one of the last that she needed to break into. 

A guard stood at the entrance to the building, and Raven told him, “They're with me.” The guard let her scan her card and they were through. 

“I'll stay here,” she said. “You two go to the cells.” 

Pietro glanced at Erik. “Ready?” Before Erik could answer, Pietro had grabbed his neck and suddenly they were in front of the cells and Erik could hardly see straight. 

“One of them might get whiplash,” Pietro said, gesturing to the three figures behind the metal bars. “I only have two hands.” 

Erik shook his head to clear his vision, then focused on the metal bars. The three people inside the cell, two women and one man, all pretty young, were staring at them in something like awe. They looked like they hadn't been hoping for a rescue. 

The metal bars bent, then broke, leaving a space wide enough for three people to pass through. An alarm sounded. Pietro was inside the cell within a second, and draped his arms around the shoulders of one of the women and the man. 

“Hang on,” he said. The second woman grasped the man's arm, hard, and the three of them were gone. 

Erik turned to face the direction of shouting that was quickling coming nearer. 

**

Erik used their radio communication system for the first time in the mission, telling Raven to get out of the building and head to the perimeter. She went back through the gate and waited. 

A moment later, Pietro stood next to her. They could hear gunshots and distant shouting, but all the action seemed to be taking place inside. Pietro was alone. 

“Where are the prisoners?” she asked, changing back to herself. 

“Helicopter,” Pietro said. “Don't worry. Where's Erik?” 

“Inside.” 

“By himself?” Pietro's voice went oddly high. 

“He'll be fine,” Raven said. 

“This wasn't part of the plan,” Pietro said. “In and out, minimal casualties. That was the plan. Why's he still in there?” 

“He's fine,” Raven said. She didn't tell him about the steel in Erik's voice when he'd told her to get out. 

“He shouldn't be in there,” Pietro said. He was practically vibrating. Raven had a bad feeling, one that prompted her to grab onto Pietro's arm and hold tight. 

Pietro ran. Not into the facility, but through the trees. They stopped for several seconds, enough time for Pietro to shout, “Get off!” and Raven to catch her breath, and then they were off. The next time they stopped, it was next to the helicopter, and Raven was gasping for air and Pietro was shouting at her. 

An explosion caused them both to look up. Through the trees they could see smoke and the hint of flames. Raven let go of Pietro's arm, and Pietro didn't move. He just stared ahead, transfixed. 

Erik walked out of the forest, his armor stained. He stopped within a few feet of them. 

“What did you do?” Raven asked softly. 

“I destroyed it,” Erik said. “And them. They can't be allowed--”

Pietro disappeared from Raven's side and Erik was on the ground, Pietro holding him there and shouting, “Why? That wasn't the plan!” 

“If they are spared,” Erik snarled, “they will harm us. They can't be spared. Don't you see--”

“You killed them,” Pietro shouted. “You weren't supposed to kill them! That wasn't the plan!” 

“It was necessary,” Erik said. 

“They probably didn't even know what they were involved in,” Pietro snapped, the words starting to blur together from the speed with which he said them. 

“We should go,” Raven said, noticing the pilot of the helicopter waving at her. “This'll have attracted attention.” 

Pietro disappeared, and Erik picked himself up and dusted himself off. He looked at Raven, who shook her head and got into the helicopter. 

Erik followed. Pietro was sitting with his face turned away from everyone, looking out the window. 

The helicopter lifted into the sky with the smoke from the prison facility. They could see the flames below, before they were replaced by blue ocean. 

Then the pilot swore. Pietro looked at Raven, who asked, “What's wrong?” 

Everything exploded. 

**

“Where's Pietro?” 

The nurse gave Erik a pitying look. It made him want to punch something. “The guy with the silver hair?” Erik nodded. “Mr. Maximoff was discharged by a man named Hank McCoy. I believe he's home, now.” 

Erik ran a hand over his face. He felt like he'd been hit by three cars. At least. “Was he injured?” 

The nurse nodded. “Several lacerations, a broken leg, and you all almost drowned. Luckily you were close enough to the Cuba's shoreline that the rescue was swift.” 

Erik blinked. “Please don't tell me I'm in Cuba.” 

The nurse smiled. “You're in Miami. They figured out you were American and transferred you once you stabilized.” 

“And the others?” Erik asked. The nurse moved to the side to reveal Raven sleeping in the next bed, also bandaged. She was the only other one in the room. 

“A young woman is two doors down,” the nurse said. “The two others, I'm sorry. They passed away yesterday.” 

Erik felt like the world had dropped out from under him. Two mutants dead. On a mission meant to save them all.

And because the military could't just let those young mutants go. 

**

“Erik has done some horrific things. But he's--”

“A terrorist,” Pietro said moodily from his bed. 

“No,” Charles said, and then reconsidered. “Well, yes. But--”

“You have hope,” Pietro muttered. “You always do. Do you ever think that's your problem? Erik wipes the floor with you every time and you're still like, yeah but he might be good.” 

“Erik and I are--”

“Old friends.” Pietro rolled his eyes. 

“He upset you,” Charles said. “And I'm sorry--”

“He disappointed me,” Pietro said, mocking Charles' accent. 

“It must be hard,” Charles started.

“I shouldn't want to be wanted by a guy who hasn't even raised me,” Pietro said. “He's not my dad, but now that I know he is I can't stop thinking about him that way. My mom's not like us, so it makes sense. But then he goes and kills just for the sake of killing. I can see why you don't want Raven working with him. He's a bad influence.” 

“Yes,” Charles said. “He is. But Raven can make her own decisions.” 

“She didn't want him to do it either,” Pietro said, and Charles felt a surprising amount of relief. He hadn't known he was afraid that she'd have wanted the same thing, but of course he was. He always was. 

“That's good to hear,” Charles said. 

“She could be a murderer, though,” Pietro said. “Not far off. If you were a little less trusting and Erik was a little less trigger-happy I think you'd both hit the perfect balance. But you never will, will you? Erik doesn't look like he's changing his mind anytime soon, and the last time you stopped hoping you became a druggy.” 

“I was not a druggy,” Charles said. This was the first conversation they'd had where Pietro wasn't doing something on the side, moving constantly. It was the leg. Pietro's fast movements would cause undue stress to the healing bone. Pietro's hand was twitching. So was his good foot. It was clear this wasn't easy for him. 

“You still need a haircut,” Pietro said. “And Erik needs prison. Probably. I feel kinda responsible for breaking him out of prison. Because I did. Without me he wouldn't have got out.” 

“You're presuming a lot,” Charles pointed out. 

“It's true,” Pietro said. 

“Pietro,” Charles said, placing his hand on top of Pietro's twitching one. Pietro frowned at him and pulled the hand away. “You don't have to be what you think Erik wants you to be.” 

“You're just afraid I'll go down the wrong path,” Pietro said, narrowing his eyes. “That Erik'll be the one to take me from petty theft to murder.” 

“Erik would take anyone from petty theft to murder if it were possible,” Charles muttered. “The point is, you're here to learn to harness your powers, and to learn that there's more to this community than fighting. But in the end whatever choices you make are not mine to make for you,” and that was still hard to get his head around because Charles, if he wanted anything, wanted control, “nor is it Erik's.” 

Pietro stared at him, looking for something in Charles face. Then he nodded, once, and sighed, tipping his head back against the pillows. “I am going to seriously contemplate murder if I can't get out of this bed. Watching everything go by in real time is so boring. I could be doing so much.” 

“Think of this as an opportunity to relax,” Charles said. 

Pietro glared at him. “I have less distractions. More time to think. Stretched out times where I'm not doing anything, which means I'm thinking, and we both know what I'm thinking about.” He sighed. “What am I supposed to do?” 

“Read?” Charles suggested, gesturing at the books on the shelves in the room. 

“I've read those already,” Pietro said. “A lot of your books are pretty boring, by the way. What's with all the geography shit?” 

“Knitting,” Charles sighed. “Why don't you knit. I'm sure we can find some knitting gear for you. I'll ask Hank about it.” 

Pietro's eyes lit up. “Imagine how many sweaters I can make you.” 

“Don't make me jumpers,” Charles said. 

“Jumpers,” Pietro repeated. “That's just wrong.”

“Make Hank jumpers.” 

“I'll make you both jumpers,” Pietro said. “There is such a thing as silver yarn, right?” 

Charles resisted a strong urge to massage his temples. “I hope you heal as fast as you do everything else,” he said. He knew Pietro wasn't. Because it had been a week since Pietro had come back. 

Pietro responded with a grin that meant nothing good. 

Two weeks later Charles had a new wardrobe entirely made of knitwear.


End file.
